No AV installed for Vista (perfmon.exe bug!)

[hexaae]

Whether you have an AV installed and running or not if you run from an Admin prompt:
C:\Windows\System32\perfmon.exe /report
it will report that no AV is installed (??) even if Protection Center says it is!



http://www.pctunerup.com/up/results/_200901/20090106123745_Immagine.jpg
http://www.pctunerup.com/up/results/_200901/20090106123820_Immagine2.jpg

It is a bug in Perfmon.exe. Securty center correctly reports the AV is installed.
I've tested this with 2-3 AVs, including Nor**n 2009 and it does always the same.
It's clearly a bug in this Vista's component.

EDIT: please read the full thread. It's a bug in some AVs installation as they forget to register some infos and not a bug in Perfmon.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi hexae,

This is strange. I have executed the command like you have, and this is my result:
Security Center

PerfMon

As you can see, there are no problems here.
What is puzzling from your post is the fact that in the Security Center Automatic updating is shown in yellow whereas in PerfMon Anti-Virus Information is showing red. I can understand the former being yellow as you can configure Automatic Updating to just notify you of any updates. I would be concerned at your Ant-Virus Information. The fact that you are getting different results for this category from Security Center and PerfMon would seem to indicate that your AV is not integrating correctly with Vista. I notice from your post that you mention Norton. I used this myself a couple of years ago when Vista first came out and was very disappointed with it. Even on clean installs, with everything done in exactly the same order, I would get different results. I came to the conclusion that, although it said it was Vista compatible, it clearly wasn't. Since then, I have used Kaspersky and have had no problems. Sometimes, the red warning shield appears after it has done the first update when I first boot up my system for the day, but that resolves itself when I reboot. This is just an indication that certain files have been updated and that they cannot be used until the system has been restarted, much as in the same way you sometimes get from Windows Update.

 

[Airbot]

Whether you have an AV installed and running or not if you run from an Admin prompt:
C:\Windows\System32\perfmon.exe /report
it will report that no AV is installed (??) even if Protection Center says it is!



http://www.pctunerup.com/up/results/_200901/20090106123745_Immagine.jpg
http://www.pctunerup.com/up/results/_200901/20090106123820_Immagine2.jpg

It is a bug in Perfmon.exe. Securty center correctly reports the AV is installed.
I've tested this with 2-3 AVs, including Nor**n 2009 and it does always the same.
It's clearly a bug in this Vista's component.

Hi hexaae,

It could very well be a bug. I have had this happen to me a few times in vista when generating a health report. Even now in Win 7 I still have the same problem with it not reporting that I have Avast installed or even Win Defender. Your AV still works just fine, it just doesn't report it in the health report. You might send a report of it to your AV provider and Microsoft.

 

[hexaae]

Hi hexae,

This is strange. I have executed the command like you have, and this is my result:
Security Center
PerfMon
As you can see, there are no problems here. What is puzzling from your post is the fact that in the Security Center Automatic updating is shown in yellow whereas in PerfMon Anti-Virus Information is showing red.

Interesting. I've set Updating manually: Vista will advise me when updates are available, but nothing will be automatically downloaded and/or installed. That's why it's yellow. Nothing wrong, theoretically. Here is the bug?

BTW, what's the AV used?

 

[Airbot]

This is in Win 7 but I have Avast and windows defender installed and active.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi hexaae,

First of all, apologies for spelling your name wrong on my previous post. As you can see, I updated that post whilst you were replying to it. I tried the command several times, and got exactly the same result every time. This is why your result is perplexing. I can understand Aaron's result because Windows 7 is currently in Beta and, as far as I am aware (but I might be wrong), there isn't currently any AV designed specifically for that platform.

 

[Airbot]

But what about windows defender though Dwarf?

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Aaron,

I'm not sure. Perhaps you could ask the question here: Windows 7 Forums and see what they say.

 

[hexaae]

Hi hexaae,

First of all, apologies for spelling your name wrong on my previous post. As you can see, I updated that post whilst you were replying to it. I tried the command several times, and got exactly the same result every time. This is why your result is perplexing. I can understand Aaron's result because Windows 7 is currently in Beta and, as far as I am aware (but I might be wrong), there isn't currently any AV designed specifically for that platform.

Have you tried after setting "manual updates"? Gives the same ok results?
Honestly you're the first person I see without this problem In other forums ALL users have posted the same bogus in Perfrom.exe... What AV do you have?

 

[hexaae]

But what about windows defender though Dwarf?

To clean-up Security Center (Vista):
- from services.msc stop "Windows Management Instrumentation" (=Strumentazione Gestione Windows) service
- go to Start -> Programs -> Accesories
- right click on "Command prompt" and choose "Run as administrator"
- issue the following commands:
cd /d %windir%\system32\wbem
ren repository repository.old
- start "Windows Management Instrumentation" (=Strumentazione Gestione Windows) service

This should reset things and from now on installing/uninstalling the AV should be correctly reported by Security Center.

 

[Dwarf]

hexaae: As mentioned in my earlier post, I currently use Kaspersky.

Aaron: It could just be one of those bugs that needs ironing out before W7 comes out of Beta.

 

[hexaae]

hexaae: As mentioned in my earlier post, I currently use Kaspersky.

Was it pre-installed? Have you ever changed it?

EDIT: I've re-read your edited post carefully, sorry I didn't notice it.
It seems Kaspersky is the only one to not report errors in Perfmon.exe??? Very weird...

 

[Dwarf]

Hi hexaae,

No, it was not pre-installed. I built my system myself, and use the retail version of Vista. I purchased Kaspersky in the same way as any other program. In fact, if you compare ready-built systems that come with some form of AV pre-installed, they invariably come with some variant of either McAfee or Norton. I have yet to come across a ready-built system that doesn't, when AV is pre-installed, come with an alternative AV solution to these two.

 

[hexaae]

Hi hexaae,

No, it was not pre-installed. I built my system myself, and use the retail version of Vista. I purchased Kaspersky in the same way as any other program. In fact, if you compare ready-built systems that come with some form of AV pre-installed, they invariably come with some variant of either McAfee or Norton. I have yet to come across a ready-built system that doesn't, when AV is pre-installed, come with an alternative AV solution to these two.

Yes, Norton everywhere here in Italy's laptops...
I could try to install K's trial, just to test if actually reports no errors from Perfmon for me too... then I'll have to investigate WHY
With Antivir, Norton 2009 it always reports that bogus...

 

[Dwarf]

Hi hexaae,

Did Norton come pre-installed on your system? If so, you need to make sure that it is thoroughly uninstalled prior to installing and running another AV product. The remnants of Norton and/or other AV product(s) could be causing the results you are experiencing.
To remove Norton, follow the instructions in this link: Download and run the Norton Removal Tool For removal tools for other AV products, see the relevant manufacturer's webpages.

 

[hexaae]

@Dwarf
Yes I know thank you. I always use the official Norton Removal Tool to wipe out NAV from my laptops (preinstalled as default) Same for the other AV.
I'm sure everything is ok from that point of view. Honestly you're the first user I encounter whose Perfmon (AV)report is ok. Can you please try with a virtual machine or simply another AV? I'll try with K's trial in the meanwhile....

 

[Airbot]

hexaae,


Although I have had it happen in the past, currently on my Vista, I have Avast and win defender installed and active and my report is all clear.

 

[hexaae]

hexaae,


Although I have had it happen in the past, currently on my Vista, I have Avast and win defender installed and active and my report is all clear.

There is no "Information", even if you have all green lights, reporting you don't have an AV installed?

EDIT: do you have fully automatic set Win Updates?

 

[Airbot]

Here is my Vista report. I have superantispyware as well as win defender and avast.

 

[hexaae]

Do you have fully automatic Win updates set?